RECENT WORK
Roofing gallery: recent work across Surrey and London
Pitched re-roofs, fibreglass flat roofs, leadwork and roofline, photographed on site across Surrey, Middlesex and London. Ask about any job here and we will tell you where it was and what was involved.
What to look for in these photographs
Photographs tell you more about a roofer than any amount of writing. Look at the ridge line and whether it runs straight. Look at how the lead sits into the brickwork, whether the verges are neat, whether the guttering has a proper fall. These are our jobs across Surrey, Middlesex and London, photographed as we finished them.
Recent work
Real roofs, real jobs
Tap any picture to see it full size.
Pitched re-roofs: tiling and slating
A pitched re-roof is the biggest job we do and the one where the finish shows most. The old covering comes off, the timbers get checked, then it goes back with new breather membrane, new treated battens and eaves trays at the bottom so water reaches the gutter instead of the fascia.
Tiles are either reused where they are sound or replaced to match. Clay, concrete and slate all behave differently, and matching an existing roof properly is half the work. Ridges and verges are finished dry where it suits the roof, which stops the mortar cracking out in a few winters.
In the photos, look at the tile courses running parallel to the ridge, the straight line down the verge and the way the lead valleys sit flush. That is what you are paying for on a re-roof.
Fibreglass flat roofs
Fibreglass, or GRP, is what we fit on most flat roofs now: garages, dormers, porches and single storey extensions. It goes down as one piece with no joins across the middle to split open later, and the trims give you a clean edge all the way round.
We are a Restec trained and approved installer. Restec are a British manufacturer who have been making fibreglass and liquid flat roofing systems for around forty years, with the products made here in the UK. Their Flexitec system is glass reinforced and can go over most existing surfaces, which saves stripping a sound deck. GRProof is the classic fibreglass build up on a new deck.
When the roof is registered with Restec it qualifies for their 20 year materials guarantee, which they only offer through installers they have trained and approved. Our own workmanship guarantee sits alongside it.
Leadwork and valleys
Leadwork is where most roofs actually leak. Chimney flashings, abutments where an extension meets the wall, box gutters and valleys between two pitches all take more water than the tiles do, and cheap work there shows up inside the house within a year or two.
The photos of chimneys show stepped flashings cut into the mortar joints and wedged, not smeared over with sealant. On valleys, the lead is laid in the right lengths with proper laps so it can move as it warms and cools. Lead that has been fitted in one long piece will crack, and that is a common cause of the mystery leak nobody can find.
Roofline: fascias, soffits and guttering
Roofline work makes the biggest visual difference for the money. Rotten timber fascias and sagging guttering age a house badly, and they let water run down the brickwork instead of away from it.
We take the old timber off rather than cladding over it, so nothing rots away quietly behind the new uPVC. New fascias, soffits and guttering go on with the falls set correctly, and the downpipes are run to discharge properly.
In these photos, compare the eaves before and after. Straight lines, closed ends, no gaps for birds and squirrels to get into the loft.
Ask to see a job near you
A gallery is useful, but standing at the kerb looking up at a finished roof is better. Tell us which town you are in and what you are thinking of having done, and we will point you at something similar we have done nearby.
Ring Grant on 01932 690 995. Email grant@gbroofingservices.co.uk if it is easier, and send a photo of your own roof while you are at it.
See a finished roof near you
If you would rather look at a real roof than a screen, say so when you call. We work in a tight enough area that there is often something we have finished nearby, and a roof can be looked at from the pavement without troubling anyone.
Questions
Common questions
The gallery shows the kind of roofing work we carry out across Surrey, Middlesex and London. Pitched re-roofs in tile and slate, fibreglass flat roofs, leadwork and chimneys, and roofline replacement all feature. If you want to know where a particular job was done or what was involved, ring and ask and we will tell you.
Yes, just ask. We work across a tight area covering Addlestone, Weybridge, Chertsey, Cobham, Oxshott, Esher, West Byfleet, Woking, Lightwater and Bagshot, so there is usually something similar close to you. Tell us your town and what you are considering, and we will point you at a comparable roof you can look at from the road.
Yes, for a lot of the jobs. The before pictures show the slipped tiles, split felt, blocked valleys and failed chimney mortar that brought us out in the first place. They are the most useful ones to look at, because they help you work out whether your own roof has the same problem starting.
We fit Restec fibreglass systems and are a Restec trained and approved installer. Flexitec is glass reinforced and can be laid over most existing surfaces, so a sound deck does not always need stripping. GRProof is traditional fibreglass on a new deck. Registered with Restec, the roof qualifies for their 20 year materials guarantee, available only through installers they have approved.
In most cases yes, and matching is something we take time over. Clay, concrete and slate all weather differently, so a new tile straight from the merchant can look obvious for a season. Where a match is hard to find we will look at reclaimed tiles, or move sound tiles from a less visible elevation and put the new ones there instead.
Most houses take a few days to a week or so, but it depends on the size and shape of the roof, the access, and the weather. Scaffolding usually goes up first. A roof with several valleys, dormers or chimneys takes longer than a plain gable to gable roof. We give you a realistic timescale with the estimate and tell you if it changes.
Yes. We will happily take pictures from the scaffold before, during and after, so you can see the timbers, membrane, battens and leadwork you would otherwise never lay eyes on. Ask at the start and we will keep a set as we go. It is also useful to have on file if you ever come to sell the house.
Our services
Seen something here that looks like your roof? Call Grant on 01932 690 995, or email grant@gbroofingservices.co.uk. Estimates are free, and we will come and look before quoting a price.